Chris Arsenault’s son Eric died in a car accident and he mourned his child as only a father can. he knew he wanted to do something to honor hes son’s memory and somehow stay useful in the life he needed. So when he found out about the abandoned cat colony, he made an amazing decision. He turned his home in Suffolk County, New York into a permanent shelter for cats.
Arsenault is a retired railway engineer who loves cats. He turned his entire home into a happy cat shelter, calling it the Happy Cat Shelter. More than 300 cats have returned home.

I found a colony of 30 sick kittens and realized that I needed to take action to save them. It was only then that he realized that this was a challenge in his life, and he knew that his son would appreciate his father’s decision to turn his home into a shelter for cats.

The 56-year-old retiree imagined what he needed to do to keep all cats warm, cared for and loved. His genius has created a huge cat playground that is ideal as a pet for those who want to play.

Arsenault rescued cat after cat from what he said was starvation, poisoning, illness and abandonment. “We have saved cats from terrible hoarding situations, from condemned homes and even from gangs who try to trap them for use as bait in dog-fighting rings,” said a volunteer at the sanctuary.


From a tall heated litter box to a kennel that can be covered with kittens, cat doors provide access to your home – a design that’s not only cat-friendly but also attractive. To keep them entertained, Arsenault even built a place where the cats could see the chickens.



Arsenault only problem is every night before bed. Cats can compete for a place in her bed and hug this special man who treats everyone as if he is the only one.

Currently, only kittens and cats are accepted into the reserve, in other cases it is possible to leave.